Nationalism or loyalty to nation inherently includes a racial component; patriotism does not.
“I’m a nationalist, okay? … Use that word,” President Trump declared in front of a crowd of supporters last October. Since Trump’s election, nationalism — specifically, white nationalism — has come to dominate national political discussion. This brand of nationalism manifested most recently in the 2017 Charlottesville riots and the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, two cases in which the perpetrators of violence held strong white nationalist views. James Fields was actively participating in a white nationalist rally during the Charlottesville riots before he murdered activist Heather Heyer, while Robert Bowers, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter, claimed that the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society was bringing “invaders in that kill our people.”
Simply put, this dangerous white nationalism or unyielding loyalty to and identification with one’s own nation is incompatible with the cultural diversity of the United States. Here, there is no place for the vicious hatred fueled by the current presidential administration; instead, patriotism must prevail as the guiding principle in U.S. politics. Patriotism, loyalty to one’s country rather than to one’s nation, provides a route to greater American unity.
Identifying Nationalism in the United States
Nationalism entails loyalty to a nation, a group of people who share a racial origin and characteristics, language, customs, geography, history, and government. While nationalism can take many forms, in the United States, nationalism has often centered around the issue of race. White nationalist movements have become an increasingly common phenomenon in today’s political discourse. These movements, which support the belief that “white identity should be the organizing principle of the countries that make up Western civilization,” have only grown in the wake of the 2016 election. Far from benign, these groups continue to perpetrate acts of violence against those who do not fit with their worldview.
The presence of white nationalism in the United States, however, is not always as clear cut as attending a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville or explicitly endorsing typical white nationalist ideals like the Pittsburgh shooter. While these are certainly the most obvious examples of white nationalism, a more subtle kind exists that can also prove dangerous. This kind of white nationalism does not march in the streets; rather, it uses more nuanced tactics, such as dog whistle politics, to dehumanize those of different nations. President Trump’s unabashed references to MS-13 members as “animals” or to recent immigrants as people who are “bringing drugs [and] bringing crime” represent this more pervasive brand of white nationalism. These statements draw distinctions based on where individuals come from and feed into racism and xenophobia both domestically and globally. Such hateful rhetoric can inspire the real world terrorism — often aimed at minority groups — more traditionally associated with white nationalism. In his manifesto, white nationalist and suspected perpetrator of the 2019 New Zealand shooting Brenton Tarrant praised Trump as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose.”
White nationalism has found a small but significant foothold across the United States. Recent estimates show that approximately 6 percent of the country’s 198 million non-Latino white residents believe that politics should primarily advance the interests of white people. While a vocal minority explicitly supports advancing white people’s interests over all others’, more Americans may share this belief without publicly admitting that they do so.
Understanding Patriotism versus Nationalism
In contrast to white nationalism, patriotism is a loyalty to any country which has a permanent population, defined territory, government, and ability to enter into international relations with other countries. It appears that there is widespread loyalty to country in the United States. Recent data shows that 84 percent of Americans would rather be American citizens than citizens of any other country. While patriotism and general nationalism may overlap at times, they are far from synonymous and in fact, have major differences.
Nationalism or loyalty to nation inherently includes a racial component whereas patriotism or loyalty to country does not. Although colloquial use of the terms “nation” and “country” as interchangeable has weakened public understanding of the division between the two, only nations are predicated on common racial heritage. Though the United States represents one country, it is composed of many smaller nations.
Patriotic actions seek to promote the interests of the entire country. The existence of so many different cultures, races, traditions, and languages in the United States provides a unique opportunity to put patriotism into practice by encouraging people to celebrate their diversity. Already, there are multicultural festivals being held that allow for Americans from different nations to form bonds that transcend identity-based boundaries.
Promoting American Patriotism
Rejecting other groups within the country because they do no share one’s racial heritage has immense individual and societal consequences. From an economic standpoint, nationalist attitudes inhibit opportunity to engage in a multicultural marketplace. People of color may not feel comfortable eating in an establishment run by a white nationalist. Perhaps of even greater concern is the disunity that white nationalism creates, fueling culture wars that can polarize politics and induce physical violence.
In addition to directly acting patriotically, however, Americans must also take concrete actions to counteract white nationalism in order to foster greater unity in the United States. Showing Up for Racial Justice recommends counter-protests and documenting white nationalist rallies to stymie white nationalist movements. Similar tactics were employed during the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, where counter-protests garnered national headlines. Following the rally, the online identification of many Unite the Right supporters produced serious consequences for them, even getting one fired from his job. These strategies, which seemed effective judging by the low turnout at the second Unite the Right rally, can help limit white nationalism and promote patriotism by discouraging divisive actions such as white nationalist rallies.
Beyond tackling white nationalism and adopting practices that encourage Americans to bond over our unique differences, patriotism also calls for greater participation in government, perhaps the greatest emblem of country. This participation can entail work in campaigns, elections, public service, or even merely casting one’s vote for patriotic candidates. Opportunities for patriotism abound and where Americans choose this loyalty to country before loyalty to nation, we can hope for greater unity.
Image Credit: Unsplash/Samuel Branch